[Natural variability of Bacillus diastaticus, a thermophilic bacterium that forms amylase]

Natural variability of the thermophilic culture of Bacillus diastaticus was studied, and the population of its cells was found to be genetically heterogeneous. The bulk (75.5%) of the cells had a high activity of amylase biosynthesis; 21.5% of the cells had a low activity; 2.94% of the cells had no activity. One inactive variant and two variants whose activity was higher that that of the parent culture with respect to amylase biosynthesis have been selected.